The Big Smoke: A History of Air Pollution in London Since Medieval Times

by Peter Brimblecombe

First published in 1987, Peter Brimblecombe's book provides an engaging historical account of air pollution in London, offering a fascinating insight into the development of air pollution controls against a changing social and economic background. He examines domestic and industrial pollution and their effects on fashions, furnishings, buildings and human health. The book ends with an intriguing analysis of the dangers arising from contemporary pollutants and a glimpse of what the future may hold for London.

204 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Erica Mukherjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Brimblecombe's The Big Smoke is a near seamless blend of scientific and historical writing. Beginning with the earliest recorded settlement in Britain, Brimblecombe traces the contested rise of coal as a cherished domestic fuel source and its equally contested fall as concerned citizens begin to link its smoke to London's famously polluted air. Though the final two chapters of the book rely heavily on chemistry to make their points, overall, the text brings early London to life.

Coal, and its attendant smoke, are the reader's entry point into London. Beginning in the fourteenth century, Brimblecombe traces how changes in fuel availability, industrial needs, and politics shaped the experience of living in London. He uses literary sources to access the sights, sounds, and smells of urban life. He moves from squabbles over the unhealthy smell of coal fires used in industrial lime production to Londoner's deep attachment to their open coal-fired hearths. Though he ends the book discussing smoke abatement and other air pollution mitigation efforts, coal is neither demonized or glorified. Instead, Brimblecombe manages to highlight the complex relationship Londoners had with this resource, first forced to consume it until its smoke and fire became a part of their urban identity.